SHARPEN THE AXE

At the peak of the Jesus Movement in the mid-70’s, I was awestruck by the number of people leaving their first love for Him. To fight the slumbering apathy, I switched genres from acceptable folk rock to the untested waters of jazz-rock and penned Hand To The Plow.” The seven minute “gem with a jam” launched from Jesus’ sharp warning found in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” had an immediate impact.

 

Fast forward to the 21st Century, where the strategically franchise manufactured mega church model, adorned in her cultural relevance, seemed immune to setting suns until Covid closed the majority of their doors. Once again, the landscape of Christian culture was suddenly littered with couch potato believers waning from their first love. Birthed from my passion to stop the sheep from slouching toward apostasy, I believe the Holy Spirit lit my long term love affair with Ecclesiastes 10:10 to sound the alarm as well as provide a solution. “If the axe is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.” 

 

Unexpectedly, as 2022 was phasing out, “Sharpen The Axe” came to me one evening and less than an hour later I felt the prophetic power had employed me with a new trumpet to sound the alarm much like I had experienced with “Hand To the Plow.” I pray you’ll have ears to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying and the courage to intentionally grind off the carnal rust that has corrupted so many of us. Return to your first love for Jesus and live in the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit that is derived from dying to oneself and living out the Word of God. The two seemingly harmless letters that form the word “if,” boldly implies that your axe will get dull. It also demands for responsive action to sharpen it daily to acquire wisdom to restrain the folly and ensuing exhaustion from living of off the nutrition from yesterdays manna. 

 

In humility and love, I implore you to get back to the Bible and sharpen your axe. Our world is a dense forest of chaos filled with the cacophony of deceptive voices leading to eternal darkness. Let’s clear the vast amount of dead wood and allow the salvation light of Jesus to usher in new growth in preparation of the great harvest to come. Sharpen the Axe!

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In His love,

Paul Clark

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“Sharpen The Axe”  ©Paul Clark 

 

Once upon a time you were on fire for God

You fought the good fight no matter how hard

As time went by you stopped reading the Word

And lived off of your story when the times were good

Now your tools are rusty from sitting in the shack

Get back to the Bible and sharpen the axe 

 

It started one day when you compromised

A subtle decision with a little white lie

You kept it to yourself and thought no one would see

That the fruit had dried up on the branches of your tree

You’ve been hiding too long on the back 40 tract

Get back to the Bible and sharpen the axe

 

Well, ya found a big church with lights and big sound

Where you could hide in the dark and watch it all go down

3 songs n’ announcements shake your neighbors hand

Put a 20 in the bucket and listen to “the man” 

Quit sipping that milk ain’t time to relax

Get back to the meat of the Word and sharpen the axe

 

Then you ran from the Lord and made a new plan

Sold off His rock and built your house on the sand

The sunset was pretty you were feeling alright

Til’ the wind started blowing in the middle of the night

 

Then out of the blue fear made a decree

There’s a virus among us that can kill you and me

You snuggled with your TV in your living room 

Complied with your mask to protect you from the doom

Propaganda dulled you lies became your facts

Get back to your Bible child and sharpen the axe

 

 The dark is getting darker trying to put out the light

Paving the road for the Antichrist Big

Government and Media censor the web

And A.I. reads the thoughts in your head

Are you gonna stay silent

Are you gonna stay silent 

Are you gonna stay silent and slip through the cracks 

Or ask the Holy Spirit  to sharpen your axe

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©Minstrel's Voyage Music / ASCAP 2022/2023